The area, which includes Sugar Land and Baytown, ranked fifth with a median overall annual salary of $66,700, Forbes reported. The starting salary in the area was $53,200, and the mid-career median wage was $94,600.

The San Jose area, which includes Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, ranked as the metropolitan area with the highest salary. Residents in the area earned a median salary of $93,100, starting pay of $68,600 and mid-career wage of $128,000.

Houstonians are set to get an average raise of 3.3 percent next year, slightly higher than the 3 percent average for the nation, according to Aon Hewitt, a consulting firm that surveyed large employers on compensation plans.

The Hay Group study, which is based on data from 20,000 organizations in 69 countries, found wages are likely to increase the most next year in Venezuela, Argentina, Vietnam and Indonesia. Residents in these countries will see a raise in the range of 10 percent to 29 percent, according to the study.

The study predicts Ireland, Spain and Greece to see the smallest wage increase in 2013, as the countries continue to struggle financially. Spain will see a raise of 1.5 percent, but Greece and Ireland are not forecasted to see any wage growth in 2013.

The United States wage increase puts it in the company of other developed countries, such as Italy, England, Germany and France.